*Mississippi health officials are warning against taking medicine meant for cows and horses as an alternative to the COVID vaccine.
The state reportedly has the nation’s second-lowest rate of vaccination against the potentially deadly coronavirus, and apparently, an alarming number of residents are treating themselves with the drug ivermectin.Â
Here’s more from NPR:
The department said that at least 70% of recent calls to the state poison control center were related to people who ingested a version of the drug that is formulated to treat parasites in cows and horses. Ingesting the drug can lead to a rash, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, neurologic disorders and potentially severe hepatitis requiring hospitalization, according to the alert written by Dr. Paul Byers, the state’s top epidemiologist. Byers said that 85% of the people calling after using ivermectin had mild symptoms, but at least one person has been hospitalized due to ivermectin toxicity, according to the Mississippi Free Press.
“Animal drugs are highly concentrated for large animals and can be highly toxic in humans,” Byers wrote in the alert.
READ MORE: Pfizer’s COVID-19 Vaccine Approved by FDA – Hopefully, it will Lead to Jabs for the Hesitant | VIDEO
The Food and Drug Administration has also weighed in, writing in a tweet, “You are not a horse. You are not a cow. Seriously, y’all. Stop it.”
“Many inactive ingredients found in animal products aren’t evaluated for use in people,” the FDA said in a statement. “Or they are included in much greater quantity than those used in people. In some cases, we don’t know how those inactive ingredients will affect how ivermectin is absorbed in the human body.”
On Monday, Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine became the first to receive full approval from the FDA.
“While this and other vaccines have met the FDA’s rigorous, scientific standards for emergency use authorization, as the first FDA-approved COVID-19 vaccine, the public can be very confident that this vaccine meets the high standards for safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing quality the FDA requires of an approved product,” acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said in a statement.
“While millions of people have already safely received COVID-19 vaccines, we recognize that for some, the FDA approval of a vaccine may now instill additional confidence to get vaccinated,” Woodcock said.
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